Procedures in blood vessels of the brain are gaining interest as an approach for ameliorating acute stroke events or other interventions in blood vessels in the brain. Blood vessels in the brain follow particularly tortuous paths which can increase the difficulty of reaching target locations in these vessels. Other vessels in a patient can also follow winding paths that increase the difficulty of reaching target locations.
Guidewires are frequently used to access a location within a vessel, such as blood vessels, of a patient. The guidewire can be placed during a relatively early portion of a procedure, and a further intervention device can then be guided over the guidewire to reach a target location. Once a further device is in place, the guidewire may or may not be removed for the remainder of the procedure.